The accidental death of father, veteran and shooting instructor Charles Vacca at a shooting range in Arizona has many wondering if parents should allow kids to fire guns.

This tragic incident occurred when Vacca was teaching a 9-year-old girl to shoot an Uzi, and she lost control of the weapon – shooting him in the head. While this story has many parents totally against handing a over a gun to a child, there are some who don’t see anything wrong with a child firing a gun.

Dan Baun, writer at Time.com, feels that letting kids shoot guns is actually good for them. While he thinks that giving a young child a sub-machine gun is crazy, he does feel that “there’s an added benefit to teaching children to shoot: it’s a gesture of respect for a group that doesn’t often get any.” He also adds that guns can actually teach discipline and strengthen the bond between parent and child.

“Invite a child to learn how to shoot and the message is: I trust your ability to listen and learn. I trust your ability to concentrate. I welcome you into a dangerous adult activity because you are sensible and trustworthy. For young people accustomed to being constrained, belittled, ignored and told “no,” hearing an adult call them to their higher selves can be enormously empowering. Children come away from properly conducted shooting lessons as different people, taller in their shoes and more willing to tune into what adults say,” he said.

I do understand that there are a lot of gun enthusiasts out there who agree with Baun. But, I find his statement ridiculous. There are other ways to bond with a child. You shouldn’t feel you need to give your kid a gun to show that you trust them to listen and learn.

Is that what the mom of the Sandy Hook Elementary School killer thought too? I’m not saying this little girl will grow up and experience the same fate. I’m just stating the point that training a young child to shoot any firearm can have negative effects.

I’ve watched countless interviews of gun experts saying that there are training measures in place that should prevent this kind of thing from happening. But, clearly more needs to be done. I was shocked to learn that there is no minimum age requirement for a child to be in possession of a long gun in most states. But, there are some exceptions. In my home state of New York, a person under 21 may carry, fire or use a rifle or shotgun without a permit as long as that person is being supervised by a permit holder, or engaged in a military drill, competition, or target practice at a firing range.

I can never imagine allowing my kids to handle any firearm at such a young age. My prayers go out to the families involved. Law makers may need to revise gun restrictions in the wake of Vacca’s death.

Should kids be taught how to shoot a gun? Do you think the age requirements for possessing a gun need revision?

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Stacy-Ann Gooden (aka Weather Anchor Mama) can be seen delivering the weather on the news weeknights in New York City. But her most important role is being a wife and mom. She writes about balancing career and motherhood in her blog, Weather Anchor Mama. You can also follow her on twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram.

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I think it’s fine to allow children to handle guns, so long as they’re being taught by someone qualified and competent. I, personally, do not believe Mr. Vacca was competent to be teaching children to handle firearms. Did he not know what the recoil on such a firearm was like? I would never let a child under the age of 12 (or maybe even under 15) handle such a weapon. If the recoil on a smaller weapon is difficult for a child to handle they should not be given something even larger and more powerful. There’s no way he didn’t know this kid couldn’t handle it, unless he hadn’t really worked with her for long and that’s an issue for me as well. I sort of wonder where her parents were and why they thought she could handle such a large rifle.

I do think children should be taught to handle guns, just as I think all adults should learn. We talk about guns falling into the wrong hands all the time. To me the wrong hands can mean a lot of things, one of those things would be a person with no training finding and picking up a gun. I know one of the things that crossed my mind when that gun was found in the toy section of Target was “Did the man who found it know how to handle it”. Because people who have not been taught how to handle a gun may do things like pick it up and hold it with the finger on the trigger. They may not know how to check if the safety is on- or even if that gun has a safety, and more. So yes, children should be trained to handle guns. But more from a safety standpoint, anything beyond that should be at the discretion of the parents who presumably know the child best.

And I wanted to add, not all of the US is part of some big city. There are some very rural places where hunting is a necessity, and guns may also be used as protection from predators. My neighbors used to hunt and I remember the Mum in that family complaining that her kids were in trouble again. The little one left a half eaten sandwich on the deck after being told repeatedly not to leave food laying around. So the next morning when she was at the kitchen sink washing dishes she looked up and was face to face with a bear. There was literally nothing between them but a single pane of glass. So yeah, they needed guns and it would not be okay for the government to try and take them. They’re still crucial survival tools in some parts of this country.

Christine

I don’t have a problem with children being taught how to handle a weapon. Even if they are never going to use it. Sometimes guns are bad devices that are used to hurt people, and other times they are a sport for people who like to hunt or shoot at targets. If you want to take your kid to a shooting range and teach them something, more power to you. I’m thrilled you want to spend time with your child.

On the other hand I do not for one second believe that a child cannot learn to respect guns without firing one. I respect explosives even though I’ve never blown anything up, and I respect veteran’s suffering even though I’ve never been to war. The two are not synonymous. It’s not necessary to take your child to a gun range in order to teach them not to play with the gun at their friend’s dad’s house. There are other ways.

What’s truly important is having an open dialog up instead of pretending they don’t exist. Communication is all that matters. So whether you communicate by teaching at the range or talking at home, be sure you’re having the discussion.
My heart goes out to the instructor and family.

allison

There are sensible age limits for voting, joining the military, and driving a car. I would expect that a similar limit would be placed on a child who wants to handle a lethal weapon.

Ellsa

I think it amounts to child abuse. Putting a deadly weapon into the hands of a child. Accidents can and do happen. This girl will have to live for the rest of her life knowing that she killed someone, thanks to the carelessness of adults who were meant to protect her.

http://expatcatlife.blogspot.com Jules

Look, if teaching your kid to shoot isn’t important to you or your kid, then DON’T take them to a shooting range and make them learn. If it is, then DO. It’s kind of that simple. It’s not a value judgment (however much you try to make it one). Learning how to handle and shoot a gun is just another skill, much like handling a knife in the kitchen or learning how to cross the street: it’s a skill you either have, or not. Learning how to handle a gun does not make a person better or worse than the next guy. What makes a person better or worse is whether they are able to handle the responsibilities they have when they’re holding/owning a weapon.

I really take issue with the idea that simply knowing how to handle a gun somehow makes you morally depraved–that’s the subtext of a lot of anti-gun rhetoric. I’m pretty sure that most gun accidents in the US aren’t a result of active malice, but passive stupidity. The death of the gun instructor is a case in point–in his case, his own idiocy. But owning a gun and knowing how to shoot one does not automatically make you indifferent to the lives of those around you (Second Amendment wackos notwithstanding).

My husband grew up shooting guns. He was shooting almost as soon as he could walk. He’s still quite the sniper with a rifle. I’ll happily let him instruct kidlet on how to shoot a gun when kidlet is old enough (and assuming he’s able to listen) to follow more complicated directions, because I *do* think it’s a good skill to have and I don’t want kidlet to grow up being scared of guns. I want him to have the same respect for firearms that my husband does, and if he chooses to become a gun owner, to be able to bear the responsibility of all that owning a gun entails.

egs

I don’t know how I feel about kids learning to shoot guns in general.

What I do know is that THAT child should not have been shooting THAT gun. Period.

That instructor was an idiot and paid the price. The girl will pay too and it’s not fair. Her parents and the “instructor” made many, many bad decisions that will now scar her for life. I feel really bad for her.

shirley

I’m not opposed to children learning how to handle a firearm safely. Older children, of course, who can fully understand the rules and safety procedures. Five-year-olds should never be given a firearm, and even nine is pushing it, I think. Let them get into double-digits first.

That said: NO CIVILIAN SHOULD BE FIRING A SUBMACHINE GUN. Especially not a civilian who only just learned to tie her shoes. Honestly, who thought THAT was a good idea?

Sandra

Jules said: “My husband grew up shooting guns. He was shooting almost as soon as he could walk. He’s still quite the sniper with a rifle. I’ll happily let him instruct kidlet on how to shoot a gun when kidlet is old enough (and assuming he’s able to listen) to follow more complicated directions, because I *do* think it’s a good skill to have and I don’t want kidlet to grow up being scared of guns. I want him to have the same respect for firearms that my husband does, and if he chooses to become a gun owner, to be able to bear the responsibility of all that owning a gun entails.”

Totally agree with what Jules said. Properly done, educating your child about guns can be wonderful. But this was NOT properly done AT ALL. Too young, INCREDIBLY problematic and unreliable gun placed in the hands of WAY too small a girl, and the instructor was standing on the wrong side as well. A lot of mistakes done here. Our boys will probably learn to shoot around age 11, taught by my husband, who is incredibly competent teacher of the most cautious and meticulous sort. Would I teach them myself? No way. I do not at ALL feel qualified for that.

Dara

I’m not opposed to it and I agree with Baun, however, a 9-year-old shooting an Uzi was a horrible mistake on the parents’ part. I personally would wait until my sons are around 12 or so, as long as they are mature enough. And they need to be taught by a competent teacher. I would leave the training up to my husband who is super careful and meticulous.

Steven

As a gun owner who does not keep guns on the premises because of my wife’s wishes, I have taught all of my sons (5) and daughters (2) how to hold, carry, load, aim, shoot, and clean pistols and rifles. I have -semi-automatic rifles, bolt action rifles, lever action rifles, and revolvers. By taking the time to teach them, they have developed a sense of responsibility and have even informed their friends that the gun is NOT a toy and to try and get one to ‘play’ with is stupid and ,dangerous. I used targets that exploded when hit (melons, paint cans, and water filled jugs) to show how extensive the damage can be. It got the point across nicely. 3 of my sons are military trained currently and my oldest daughter is getting a CCW permit soon. My wife doesn’t like guns in her premises but does not ban the activity for the rest of us. In fact, she suggests we go target shooting more than I can actually afford lately.

It comes down to the parent recognizing the capability of their child. Mine were responsible kids. Others I have seen, I would not let look at my guns, let alone touch them.

http://facebook.com Terri

We place restrictions on what children can do because they do not have the maturity to handle them or their ramifications – driving a car, drinking alcohol, joining the military, voting. Why is there no similar limit placed on children and firearms. Children do not have the maturity or judgment to deal with lethal weapons and the ramifications of what can happen when one fires on (someone can get injured or killed). Why are there no limits on the age at which children can handle guns, when there are limits on when they can drive a car?????

Bri

Nuts! Nuts!! Putting a gun in a childs hand teaches them discipline? Can you not teach them discipline in another way like chores or making their bed? You are that bad of a parent that you need to teach the child discipline by putting a weapon in their hands? Gosh, it’s so scary for kids these days with parents that are nuts!

Nicole

Really, you want legislation dictating when you can allow your child to touch a gun? And if you somehow fail to prevent YOUR child from touching any gun before whatever age you asked the legislation to set, what punishment do you think you should be slapped with?
Get real!!! Accidents happen. People make bad decisions. Sometimes they pay for those decisions for the rest of their life. I feel very badly for this little girl and all who are suffering because of this ACCIDENT. But bottom line this is one instance that proves that “gun control” means knowing how to handel the gun. It is not a place that we need more laws. It IS a place where we need more common sense.

Greg

All kids are different. All adults too. Some kids are capable of learning and some adults are capable of teaching gun safety and shooting. It’s a mandatory life skill in our household. If someone does not agree with that, fine, but please don’t tell us what we shouldand should not do. Our oldest daughter was mature enough at 5 to fire off a few rounds under very strict and qualified guidance and now, a couple of years later has advanced quite a bit. She absolutely loves it. We’ll evaluate our you ger child when the time comes and proceed accordingly.

This particular incident (one of two such instances I can recall in my lifetime, I might add) is tragic but it was completely avoidable. I wouldn’t instruct an adult who was a shooting novice in the use of of automatic gun, much less a child. The instructior, parents, and range are all at fault here. The only one I can’t find fault with is the child. She trusted these adults to make sure she was doing something safe.

The issue with the debate here, and so many other surrounding guns, is that some people believe that all the ills of the world can be cured if we simply ban guns. Tell me, when was the last time a ban worked for anything? Educating kids in the use of guns not only protects them if and when they come across one, it is preserving an great American heritage, one the is unique to our country.

Elicia

I shot guns when I was little, but my Dad seemed to be well aware of what was appropriate. I wouldn’t say the shooting was a bonding moment, but going out hunting with him definitely was.

You want to constrict my ability to own my guns even more because one person made a bad judgement call? Fuck you too, bitch.
Children shouldn’t be allowed to just carry them around where ever and whenever they please. That’s obvious. We have guns in the house. When my daughter is old enough, she will know how to shoot and otherwise handle weapons given she has the mental capacity and general responsibility to do so. If an intruder comes into our house and she is home alone, is she supposed to sit there and be hurt killed or raped because YOU think she shouldn’t know how to use a gun? Or should she be able to defend herself?
You are simple, ignorant and close minded.
I hope no one ever threatens your life, you’d be shit out of luck.

Shannon

The emotional response is replacing the logical reasoning on this. First, I would like to hear from child development experts to know at what age children develop the physical and cognitive skills that would make it appropriate to begin learning gun handling and use from PROPER instructors under proper training conditions. Then, I would like to see those guidelines applied to common sense regulations to ban the roadside amusement and other freelance type transient “oh that looks like fun, let’s try it” sites. Guns definitely should not be in the hands of children for entertainment, and this particular place and type of gun did not seem appropriate. Instructors and training sites should be licensed and regulated accordingly, and if parents are SERIOUS about wanting their children to be SERIOUS about guns, then they should take them consistently for proper training. And just an aside, I would be concerned about any child with a gun under the supervision of a parent with anger control problems such that they cannot even control their language on a blog site such as this. Children follow their parents’ lead. If parents aren’t serious about gun safety, their children won’t be. If parents can’t control their anger . . .

shirley

Yeah, Kay is right! It’s totally impossible to defend yourself without a gun! No one has EVER defended herself without a high-powered firearm! We should all own an Uzi! Or several!

Tina

I agree with teaching our children the proper way to handle guns. Our children will, at an appropriate young age, learn how to load, unload, clean, fire, and store our guns. I, however, do believe each gun is made differently, just as we all are. I don’t believe an Uzi should be handled by a young child, but only in the hands of someone that is ABLE to control it. That was unfortunately a poor choice by all involved. As far as school shootings are involved, it’s a matter of mental stability. Those individuals who committed those sickening acts were going to do it educated or not.

amber

I personally feel that a parent has the right to teach their child. I also feel there should be guidelines. For instance, my oldest is 4 and wants to go hunting and all that, but I won’t let him until he’s been through a hunters safety course. I also will not let him handle a fire arm (obviously one he can handle for his size and this includes ones such as pellet guns and air guns) until he can recite the 4 international gun safety rules. Now I’m prior military and know how to handle fire arms but they are dangerous expecially when someone miss uses them. But I also VERY STRONGLY agree that if a child goes and shoots people at a school etc, the parents should be held just as accountable. It’s the gun owners responsibility to teach people properly who are using their fire arms and the ensure they a secured properly when not in use and when in use. My 4 year old plays guns and he already knows you do not point guns at people, animals (we’ve specified ones you can like deer, turkey, ones you hunt FOR FOOD) or cars. He knows if he does it with a toy gun you don’t do it with a real one. The problem is people do not properly educate and hands on educate with the proper firearm fit for the individual.

Wellsmom

The main issue here is that the gun was an Uzi. The parents and instructor made a very bad decision in allowing such a young girl to shoot that thing. I think that most people who have guns and/or who train their kids (or have them trained) to properly handle guns have not let their 9 year olds shoot an Uzi (and for full disclosure, our family does not have guns and neither my husband nor I have ever shot one, nor do we necessarily want to). Second, the reference to the Sandy Hook shooter in this article is irrelevant to this incident, the primary difference being that the shooter’s mother knew her son was mentally ill yet did not effectively control her son’s access to her guns. Third, I really liked Shannon’s reference to a particular commenter who used some colorful language–spot on! Unfortunately, the use of that language greatly diminished her point, which had some validity.

Paige

Everyone should know how to use a gun, then when the zombies come we’ll be prepared!

kidding…

chren

Are you people on acid or something?? Teaching kids to shoot is INSANE, looking on from Europe, where gun related deaths are more than 3 times less per population of 100 000, it makes one wonder how on earth can americans not make a connection with the readily available firearms in everyone’s homes and the death rates? Have a look at stats: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_firearm-related_death_rate

How can owning and using a gun be a right (from childhood??) and healthcare be a privilege?

Momof4

I won’t rehash my view points, many know them and can read them all over BabyCenter.

Education is the enemy of fear. My kids will not fear guns. My kids learned to handle a wooden gun for years before I would let them handle a bb gun. Since we have guns for hunting, and living in one of the most rural states, they need to learn. Guns are not for fun, guns are not for play.

Education is the biggest safety net. And you can’t do something correctly without hands on experience. Walking away is a choice and a great one for those that live in the suburban areas where they don’t have any fear.

I don’t live in that suburban bubble, so my kids will get to know guns intimately.

That said, I agree with a previous commenter that an Uzi or automatic weapon should not be in the hands of anyone other than military, and that goes for cops too. Active duty military, on deployment or at a shooting range for practice. Prior military knows how much safety is ingrained until it is second nature. safe, check, clear…

Gun enthusiast may dislike me, but I see no reason to own an automatic. A good, smart gun owner just needs one bullet, not a barrage.

Momof4

@chren – From across the pond things look different, but that is why we are our own country. Look to our own reports to see the difference some laws make in one of our most crime ridden cities (Where most of the guns owned were illegally owned)

“Since Illinois started granting concealed carry permits this year, the number of robberies that have led to arrests in Chicago has declined 20 percent from last year, according to police department statistics. Reports of burglary and motor vehicle theft are down 20 percent and 26 percent, respectively. In the first quarter, the city’s homicide rate was at a 56-year low.”

For many of us “of a certain age” learning how to shoot as a small child was a rite of passage. Here is a story I wrote recently concerning learning to shoot with my father, growing up in Australia in the 1950’s and 60’s.

Anything can be a lethal weapon if you know how to use it. This includes everyday household items. My ex husband threatened to kill me with his bare hands. He’s big enough, he could do it, he doesn’t need a gun.

He also told me, several times during our marriage, that a restraining order is “just a piece of paper.”

When my daughter is older, I most definitely will be teaching her how to safely handle a gun, as well as other forms of self defense. Not because I want to “bond” with her (as said above, there are other, better ways to bond with your children), but because I want her to know what these weapons are, what they can do, and how they can be used to protect oneself. And I’ll say it again: This isn’t just with guns. She will be taught other forms of self defense, especially martial arts, because that kind of knowledge you don’t need to leave in your car on school campus (I don’t want her to end up like that girl who was raped in her college’s parking lot because she obeyed the law and left her pistol in the car).

As in the case with the boy who walked into Sandy Hook Elementary, people seem to forget that that kid was autistic. If your child has any kind of severe mental illness that would not only endanger himself but other people, you obviously want to make a more conscious decision on whether they handle weaponry or not.

Mark

First I would like to say I respect the opinion that children should not be allowed to handle firearms. Personally I feel differently. I’ll spare the details and just say shooting is a big part of my ancestral culture. Every male family member and most female relatives shoot, and several carry concealed. Never once has there been an accident because from a young age we learn guns are dangerous, just like a hot stove or a sharp kitchen knife. I got older I got a bb gun to target practice. Few years later my dad let me shoot a single shot .22LR. Gradual supervised progression, just like driving vehicles or learning to cook. The incident in question was a tragedy yes, but they may as well have put the child behind the wheel in the Indy 500. An uzi is difficult for even trained personnel to handle safely on full automatic, let alone a small child with no experience. Could she have had fun plinking soda cans with an air rifle? Definitely. The range should never have let her handle that gun, and her parents needed to research what they were pushing their child into. I’m going to teach my daughter to shoot the same way I was instructed: safely and with supervision. If she doesn’t follow the rules (all guns are loaded, especially when they’re empty; never point a gun at anything you aren’t planning on shooting; carry guns pointed at the ground; etc) then I’ll stop at that point until I feel she has matured more. Is there a danger? Of course. Will I feel better knowing as an adult she will be able to defend herself? I’m sure my cardiologist will verify my good blood pressure. I’m rambling, but if nothing else take away from this the idea of safety and responsibility. Bad choices lead to bad results, and education is the only way to help prevent bad choices.

P.S. to the Author of the article: please don’t confuse gun safety and mental health issues. Adam was a sick man and should have been getting help for years. The tragic incident in Arizona was a child being given a machine that is dangerous without training, not unlike power tools. And before there are any apples to oranges complaints, compare hammers and circular saws. One might give a kid a bruised thumb, the other is a trip to the ER.

Donna Brinton

Use of deadly force and protection requires judgment which goes out the window because deadly force eliminates reasonable resolution of a problem.

If the human race was focused on humane resolutions to problems then the arms race and deadly force would be a non-issue.

Guns in the hands of idiots is transferred from one idiot to another. Guns are lethal weapons. I personally can think of no thing I need to shoot nor can I think of any thing I need to train children to look at through a gun site.

Ryan

Target shooting is a fun activity for the entire family. It is much better to teach a child gun safety and rules than to make it a “forbidden object” which will encourage them to seek it out when you are not around. I have friends who have safely taken their 4 and 5 year olds shooting many times, using the right instruction, firearm choices, and supervision (e.g. single-shot .22 rimfire rifle and responsible adult right there to correct any errors.) I can’t wait until my daughter is old enough to be taught and to safely go to the range. Of course gun safety will be paramount, and no range trips will occur until after those safety skills are ingrained and demonstrated.

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